A Christmas Greeting

Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 2009 has been a year full of blessings and we count you among them! We have recorded many events on our blog, but here are the highlights:

This year:

We built new things…as we continue to work on projects around the house and in the yard. As our garden grows and our lawn shrinks, we really enjoy working together. Jonah’s big highlight this fall was that he was big enough to handle the electric leaf blower. He is our little “worker guy” who loves getting things done.

We saw new things…Jason and Amy had the opportunity to travel to London and Greece in June for a wonderful trip culminating in a family wedding on the island of Santorini. Whether it was impressionist paintings, a Roman wall, the Parthenon or the sunset on Santorini, our eyes were opened to a much bigger world.

We began new phases in life…Jonah started Pre- Kindergarten this fall at Rose Hill Christian Preschool. Each day he comes away with something new to share, a song, a scientific fact, a story, or an observation. He is discovering how numbers and letters work and is starting to see the benefits of reading…now he can read prices at the store, signs on the road and which postcards are for him. He is also learning all the ways that God loves him and asks some great questions!

We learned new things…Gus has discovered the power of words and his vocabulary has grown exponentially in the last few months. You can tell when he is really happy- he narrates what you are doing. “You drinking coffee mom? I snuggle with you? Jonah you awake?.”

We tried new things…Jason and his friend Dawn continued to cater events this year and added cooking lessons to their repertoire. From meals that students can make in a rice maker to new and interesting ways to serve appetizers during the holidays, teaching classes meant they got to stretch themselves in a new direction- pretty fun! Check out their blog: Prezzemolocatering.blogspot.com.

We met new people…After almost two years of commuting to Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, we decided to find a church community that is situated in the community we live in and found a new church home at Highlands Community Church in Renton. We joined a small group led by our friends, Lorne and Jessica Green. We have enjoyed studying Galatians together and meeting new folks.

We are so grateful for all these opportunities and more. God has blessed so much this year. We are so thankful for jobs, a home, supportive family and good friends.

As we stood on Mars Hill in Athens in June looking up at an incredibly impressive Parthenon, we could not help but think of how in the face of all of the man- made monuments and carved marble, Paul preached that God needed none of it. That we don’t earn God’s love and we certainly do not deserve it. He loved us first- and that is great news.

Love,

The Jones Family